In such systems, simple and rapid interconnection of the various units of the data processing arrangements is required. One example of an interconnection arrangement which is of interest in respect of the arrangement to be described herein is described in British Patent Specification No. 904607 (H. J. Dreyer et al 1-1-1). The main claim of that specification reads as follows:
"An electronic data-processing system, comprising a plurality of data processing units, immediate-access storage formed by a plurality of partial storage devices, a central control unit for controlling the performance by said data processing units of data processing operations in accordance with a programme of instructions, and an electronic co-ordinate switching network via which said data processing units and said partial storage devices can be interconnected, the arrangement being such that any one of said processing units can be connected to any one of said partial storage devices and that several simultaneous connections each of which involves a data processing unit and a partial storage device can be in existence at any one time."
Also of interest is "Rapid Bus Multiprocessor System" by M. P. Zoccoli and A. C. Sanderson, at pp 189-200 of "Computer Design", Nov. 1981. This, see its FIG. 1(b), includes a description of a system which is somewhat similar to that of the above-quoted Patent Specification.